Proposal of Trump administration for Moon efforts worth $1.6 billion

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The administration of Donald Trump isn’t convinced the $10.7 billion set aside for space exploration in the proposed 2020 budget is enough to help put astronauts on the Moon by 2024. The U.S President has submitted an amendment to the fiscal 2020 budget and it would add another $1.6 billion. The administrator of NASA, Jim Bridenstine characterized the additional money as a down payment that would fund a lunar landing system, Orion, Space Launch System, exploration technologies, and robotic explorers at the Moon’s poles.

It is noteworthy that the amended budget will require clearing both sides of the U.S Congress before it can take effect. This assumes no objections to the budget that lead to it dying in the House or the Senate, whether or not they pertain to spaceflight. It is an entirely independent issue could sink the administration’s lunar ambitions.

https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/1128060585113980928

There are also unanswered questions regarding the funding. It’s not certain if this is a one-time cost or will carry over to future years, and some in the U.S Congress might balk if this is a hint of increases to come. There’s no question that a crewed trip to the Moon will be expensive. Although, so long as the 2024 goal is on the table in the first place and it may be difficult to keep costs down.